Secrets of the Realm (12 page)

"We are not pirates. We will not harm you." Gentler, the captain asked the boy, "What is your name?"

Captain Hawke waited, but the boy refused to answer.

"His name is David Palmer," Mr. Montgomery said.

The captain shot a look at Mr. Montgomery and then turned back to the boy.

"Is your father, Captain Harold Palmer?"

Uncertainty replaced the fear in the boy's eyes. "You know my father?"

"A good man, I remember him well," Captain Hawke said. "You were only trying to defend your father's ship when you shot my cabin boy. Am I right?"

"I am sorry I shot him, captain." Palmer looked down at Annie. "I really am sorry."

While Doc sutured her arm, Annie looked back at the boy with a vacant stare. The painkiller was taking affect.

"He knows it was an accident." Captain Hawke assured him.

The captain then called to Christopher. "Take the boy to the mess deck and have Mr. Waverly fill his belly."

"He bit me, Captain. Maybe Doc should take a look at it."

"It's only a flesh wound, Christopher. Now take him below."

 "Aye, aye, Captain." Christopher walked off. Not taking any chances, he pushed Palmer ahead of him.

Mr. Montgomery said to Captain Hawke, "It was Godenot's handiwork. Only one body. And except for Palmer, there were no other survivors."

"His handiwork, indeed," the captain said. He then turned his attention back to Annie. "I won't think any less of you if you cry."

"S-Sailors don't cry."

"Some do."

"N-not this one," Annie replied.

 "He has lost a lot of blood," Doc said.

Captain Hawke ordered Barrette and Perry to take Andrés below.

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

The captain clasped one of the ropes securing Annie's hammock to the overhead. "You look better than you did yesterday, boy," he said.

"I am as fit as a fiddle, Captain," Annie replied.

"Don't listen to him," Doc said. "He needs more than a day to heal."

Annie tried to raise her head, but the captain touched her shoulder. "Not so fast."

The captain then took Annie's arm in his hand to get a closer look at her stitches. "Nice work, Doc."

Annie moaned. "Mason Rain's monkey knife wasn't very lucky, Captain."

"You are alive, aren't you? And if it had hit the bone, you might have lost your arm. Sounds like you were very lucky," he said with a smile.

"I am lucky only because Palmer is such a bad shot," Annie said.

Captain Hawke looked at Doc. "How soon will the boy be up and about?"

"I won't know for a few days," Doc said. "But barring infection, the lad should make a full recovery. For now, he needs plenty of rest." 

"All you have to do, Andrés, is lie here and not work. I think your shipmates would like some of your luck."

Annie frowned. "I would rather be working than shot, Captain. How is Palmer?"

"He insists he be treated like the rest of the crew. He will pay you a visit this afternoon." Captain Hawke folded his arms across his chest. "Alright Andrés, I can see something is bothering you. Out with it."

 "Why didn't we go after the pirate ship?"

 "In case you haven't noticed, this is a merchant ship, not a warship."

"Then why have all those cannons if we aren't going to use them," Annie said.

 "We have all those cannons so if we are attacked, we can fight back," The captain replied. "Did you not learn anything from being on the Margaret Louise? I will never risk my men's lives unless it is absolutely necessary. My decks will not become slippery with my crew's blood if I can help it." Captain Hawke said as he stomped out of the cabin.

*     *     *

After three days of recuperation, the captain's outburst was nothing more than a hazy memory. Full movement returned to Annie's arm, but not without pain. Enjoying the concern shown by her shipmates, she wasn't anxious to resume her duties.

 Christopher chuckled as he walked into Doc's cabin. He held a book in the air. "Another one, Andrés." He tossed the book with the others before pulling up a chair. 

"I don't wish to hurt the captain's feelings, but I cannot possibly read them all," Annie said.

Pounding on the door interrupted their conversation.

"It must be Barrette," Annie said. "He knocks on the door as if he were hammering on an anvil."

Christopher looked around the room. "Doc needs more chairs."

Barrette sauntered into the cabin balancing Annie's dinner tray in one hand. "It should be me lying there, not you. I never should have given up my place on the boarding party."

"You're jealous," Christopher said.

"Why would I be jealous?" Barrette said.

"Andrés will have a battle scar and you won't."

"Ah, you found me out, Christopher." Barrette grinned as he set the tray in front of Annie.

"Did you know Palmer paid me a visit? He apologized for shooting me…again." Annie said.

"Well, that is mighty big of him, considering the captain should have keel-hauled the boy or at the very least flogged him for what he did to you," Barrette said.

"The captain knows Palmer mistook me for a pirate."

"How could anyone mistake
you
for a pirate?"

"Have some sympathy for the boy. After all, he lost his father," Annie said.

"I have more sympathy for him than Symington does. He blames Palmer for everything." Barrette cleared his throat. "That boy is a bad one. Why is it 'e survived and no one else did? Lucky for 'im. Unlucky for them. 'E's a Jonah, that one is."

Christopher cocked his head. "I am impressed, mate. You sounded just like the old tar."

"You two had better keep an eye on Palmer, Annie said. "I don't want to hear he has fallen overboard if you know what I mean."

The door suddenly opened. "I hate to break up this little tea party," Doc said. "But unless you have been shot, you do not belong here."

"Get better, Andrés," Christopher said as he headed for the door.

"Thanks, Christopher," Annie said. "And by the way Barrette, that was your best imitation of Symington yet."

Barrette bowed to her while backing out the door. He was barely in the passageway when Doc slammed the door in his face

"That was rude," Annie said.

Doc mumbled something unintelligible.

Annie sighed. "Doc, have you ever noticed Barrette's dimples?" 

She pressed her fingers into both cheeks.

 "No, I have not noticed his dimples and neither should you," Doc said shaking his finger at her. "You are a young lady who should not be entertaining young men alone, especially that Barrette fellow."

"You can't be serious. He doesn't know I'm a girl. So what difference does it make?"

"Don't be so sure about that," Doc said.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I don't like the way he acts around you."

"You are suspicious by nature, Doc. Besides, Captain Hawke said I needed to earn the respect of the men and I have done just that." She grimaced in pain as she raised her stitched arm in the air. "I've earned their respect as well as Barrette's, and he shows me nothing more." She murmured under her breath, "Unfortunately."

 "I heard that," Doc said. "No matter, soon he and the rest of the men will have more important things on their minds."

"What could possibly be more important than this?" She raised her arm again.

"Landing in the American colonies," Doc said.

Annie had only a moment to think what that meant for her when a lilting melody drifted into the cabin. "Is that Samuel Baggott?" 

"That it is. The captain told him how much you enjoy his singing," Doc said.

"Ah, that was nice of him." Odd, she thought, but nice.

Annie let out a light breath and closed her eyes. She escaped to a world of chamber orchestras where fine ladies dress in elaborate gowns and gentlemen wear fancy waistcoats and buckled shoes.

By the fifth day, Christopher, not Barrette, brought Annie her meals and the stack of books grew no taller. It was time to return to her duties.

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

As each day passed, the more anxious Annie became. The thought of leaving the Realm for even a moment made her uneasy.

"Doc, I will never leave the Realm." Annie waited for his reply. "Say something?"

"What do you want me to say, that I am glad you will become like me? I would not wish my life on anyone."

"But you have a good life here, Doc."

"While you have made my life more bearable, this is not living. Hidden away in the bowels of a ship is no life, Annie, not for me and not for you."

 "Dry land has not been kind to me, Doc. You, of all people, should understand that better than anyone."

He shook his head. "Being on the land or the sea has nothing to do with heartache. Granted, my saddest days were on land, but so were my happiest."

*     *     *

As the Realm sailed into Charles Town's harbor, Annie admired the buildings dotting the waterfront. Some were as high as three stories. Colorful potted plants adorned balconies where girls waved to the sailors who eagerly waved back. Nothing she saw changed her mind about leaving the Realm.

Annie hadn't gone ashore in Boston or Philadelphia, but she feared Charles Town would be a different matter. It was the Realm's last port o' call. She knew all too well that if Captain Hawke ordered her off the ship, she would have to go.

*     *     *

"Come along, Andrés," Mr. Montgomery said.

"Do I have a choice?" Annie said as she joined him at the end of the gangway.

"When Captain Hawke gives an order, that is the end of it."

Annie walked beside him. "The men told me about their time in Boston and Philadelphia. What they did there was no different from what they do in London, get drunk and fight. Is that what the captain expects me to do?"

"Enough, Andrés."

"Land has not been…" Annie knew it was of little use to finish the sentence. She had grown tired of her own lament, as had Captain Hawke. It undoubtedly would have little effect on Mr. Montgomery.

Walking past the courthouse and deeper into town, she decided a new tactic might work. "There certainly are a lot of things to see and do here, sir."

 "That is quite true."

Pretending she was interested, she peered into shops and the music houses where sailors could dance and be entertained for a price. As they approached the town square, she observed young women twirling their parasols talking to well-dressed gentlemen. 

Annie stopped. "My, my, will you look at that. If you didn't have to drag me around town, sir, a handsome man such as yourself, would have no problem meeting one of those fine looking women."

Mr. Montgomery sighed. "Meeting women has never been my problem. Finding one to my liking, however, has."

"And what is to your liking, sir? Red hair, black…"

 "It has nothing to do with hair, Andrés. Finding one who is beautiful, intelligent, and tall is not so simple, especially the tall part. Did I mention beautiful?"

"Twice," Annie said. "How tall are we talking about, sir?"

"I want to gaze into her eyes, not the top of a silly bonnet."

"Too bad Abigail isn't here," Annie murmured.

Mr. Montgomery stroked his clean-shaven chin. "Is there something you would care to tell me about you and this damsel?"

"Me and—and Abigail?" Annie stammered while her face turned a bright red. "Oh no, you have it all wrong. All I meant to say was that she is tall."

Mr. Montgomery burst out in laughter. When he finally could talk, he knocked Annie playfully in the shoulder. "I am only teasing you, lad."

Annie took a deep breath. "Like I was saying, Mr. Montgomery, you will meet no fine ladies, tall, short or otherwise, if you have me with you."

"A point well taken," he said. "But we cannot go against the captain's orders."

Annie kicked at a pebble on the ground. "It was worth a try."

"I am not happy about this arrangement either, Andrés. If you must know, I suggested you go into town with Christopher and Barrette, but Captain Hawke said Barrette would probably get you into all kinds of trouble."

"He was probably right about that," Annie said.

"Neither of us has a choice in this matter, so we might as well make the best of it. Besides, the captain wanted me to teach you some of the history of Charles Town."

"Not only did he make me leave the Realm, he wants you to bore me to death."

"He said you are a curious young man. It would be a part of your education." Mr. Montgomery continued, "Did you know that Charles Town prides itself in its religious tolerance?"

 "And did you know that Blackbeard sailed into Charles Town with four of his ships, kidnapped some of its citizens and held them for ransom? I believe that was in 1718," Annie said.

Abigail used to tease Annie about all the useless information floating around in her head. Maybe, that same useless information would now benefit her, she thought.

 "To be quite frank, lad, I do not believe the captain cared if you learned about the town's history or not. He wanted you off the ship, plain and simple, and with someone who would keep you safe."

"I didn't know he cared," Annie said sarcastically.

 "Hmm" Mr. Montgomery appeared lost in thought.

"What are you thinking?" Annie asked.

"The captain never said how long you had to be off the ship."

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

Mr. Montgomery smiled. "I believe I have fulfilled my part of the order. As far as I am concerned, you are free to return to the Realm."

Annie was about to bolt. "You mean now, this very second?"

"Not so fast, lad," Mr. Montgomery said. "The captain said not to let you out of my sight. We will head back to the ship together. Once you are safely on the Realm, I can then enjoy myself in Charles Town."

"I must admit, Mr. Montgomery, it was a pleasure spending what little time I had in Charles Town with you, but it will take an act of God before I ever set foot on dry land again."